- Procurement of 35 new vehicles will help increase traffic safety in the city and significantly improve transport conditions
- The new vehicles can be bought thanks to the EIB investment signed in March 2021
- To date, the EIB has unlocked €1.6 billion for the transport sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, contributing to improved road safety
The Ministry of Transport of the Canton of Sarajevo signed a contract with BKM Holding to procure 10 additional trolleybuses of the top quality and safety standards, as an addition to 25 already purchased, that will help replace the existing and aged municipal fleet in the city. This signature is part of the project for improving the urban transport network in Sarajevo, for which the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed €40 million earlier this year.
Modernising the tram and trolleybus network will improve living conditions, reduce noise levels and counter air pollution. At the same time, it will improve road safety and encourage people to use public transport more frequently, resulting in reduced traffic congestion. The ceremony for signing the contract was attended by Canton’s Prime Minister Edina Forte, Minister of Traffic of the Canton of Sarajevo Adnan Šteta, the EIB’s representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro Sandrine Friscia, and Manuela Naessl, Head of Office at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The EIB’s representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro Sandrine Friscia said at the ceremony: “I am glad to see that joint EBRD/EIB investments are directly changing people’s lives for the better, through modern and safer trolleybuses. Today’s signing of the contract is a sign of the excellent and successful cooperation with the Canton of Sarajevo so far and I am looking forward to our continuing to work together in the future. Every single step towards better environmental conditions matters, bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to the Green Agenda goals, and providing better living conditions for people in the canton and throughout the country.”
Minister of Traffic of the Canton of Sarajevo Adnan Šteta stated: "After analysing the current status of the existing vehicles, negotiations with the producer and support from the EBRD and EIB, we have decided to acquire ten additional trolleybuses, taking the overall total to 35. These vehicles will help us convert bus routes to trolleybus lines without overhead wires, which is going to change the image of public transport in the canton and increase the quality of life for all.”
The first trolleybus will be delivered to Sarajevo in January 2022, with the shipment of 25 vehicles expected for spring next year.
Background information
About the EIB in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The EIB has been active in the territory of Bosnia Herzegovina since 1977. To date, it has invested €3.1 billion, mostly in the transport sector and small and medium enterprises.
About the EIB in the Balkans:
The EIB is one of the leading international financiers in the Western Balkans. Since 2009, the Bank has financed projects totalling over €8.6 billion in the region.
The European Investment Bank is active in around 160 countries and is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. The EIB Group has recently adopted its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to provide more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. Under the Roadmap, all new EIB Group operations from the start of 2021 have been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement.
